Four of a Kind: MLL Championship Preview

Which team will win this weekend's MLL championship?

The Major League Lacrosse championship will be decided this
weekend at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
Top-seeded Denver plays Boston in the first semifinal at noon
Saturday. Toronto and Long Island play in the other semifinal at 3
p.m. Saturday. The championship is 1 p.m. Sunday and will be
televised on ESPN2.

Here's a breakdown of the contenders:

No. 1 Denver Outlaws (9-3)

How they got here: By being the most balanced
team in the league. The Outlaws have depth on both ends of the
field and a solid goalie in net. They play a rookie, Shane
Walterhoefer, on faceoffs and while his percentage is low, he
hasn't been a pushover.

Why they can win: Play their game, and defense.
Denver went 2-1 against Toronto this season, beat Long Island three
times and split a two-game series with Boston. (The loss was by one
goal.) Mundorf and Westervelt are special attackmen, and Brian
Langtry (15g, 10a) is the team's fourth leading scorer form the
midfield. The defense is consistent and allowed the fewest goals
per game of any team this season (11.5). They killed an astounding
83 percent of penalties and Schwartzman was named the league's
goalie of the year.
Why they can lose: Hard to indentify, as Denver should be
the favorite. But if an opposing offense or player gets hot --
think Paul Rabil, or Sean Morris, who had six points in Boston's
regular season win over Denver -- you never know. Walterhoefer will
need to keep his faceoff percentage manageable and prevent
fast-break opportunities. Possessions will be key, and Denver can't
afford stretches without goals.

No. 2 Toronto Nationals (7-5)

How they got here: The Nationals scored more
goals this season than any other team, and that sometimes masked
inconsistencies on defense. But there's no doubting this core
group's ability to win a title. Last year, many of them did it as
Rochester Rattlers. The Nationals also reached the playoffs without
star John Grant, who was out for most of the year with injury, but
is now back.

Why they can win: Scoring in transition, two-man
game. Thomson, right now, is the best finisher in the game and
Grant, after scoring five goals against Denver is his MLL season
debut in the regular season finale, will provide more offense.
Toronto uses the Canadian two-man, pick-and-roll game better than
any other team. Snider is solid on faceoffs.

Why they can lose: Defensive lapses. At times,
the Toronto defense hasn't played to its potential. Of the four
playoff teams, the Nationals allowed the most goals (15 per game)
of any during the regular season. The Nats do, however, have
four-time defenseman of the year Brodie Merrill leading a crew a
talented defenders.

No. 3 Long Island Lizards (6-6)

How they got here: Barely. The Lizards, held
back by a puttering offense, went 2-4 in their final six games and
needed a last-minute win on the final weekend of the season against
Chicago to earn a playoff berth. But Long Island then secured the
No. 3 seed because it owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Boston.
The Lizards went 3-0 against the Cannons this season. That's half
their wins.

Why they can win: Goaltending and defense. Brian
Dougherty, a multiple-time MLL champ, in net and a tough defense
paced by Nicky Polanco and Brian Spallina is difficult to beat.
Why they can lose: Little to no offense. If Zack Greer
(hand) is able to return and play at a high level, his presence
will improve Long Island's chances of scoring goals. Since he went
out with the injury on July 4, the offense has struggled.
Goettelmann has kept the team in several games with his one-on-one
ability, but there isn't much flow to the Lizards' offense. Only
one player, Danowski, has double-digit assists.

No. 4 Boston Cannons (6-6)

How they got here: All of Boston's six losses
have come by one point, which says two things: 1) the Cannons had a
chance to win every game this season and, 2) they lost half of
them. They appear to be very well-rounded on paper and have perhaps
the game's best player, Paul Rabil.
Leading scorers: Paul Rabil (41g, 12a); Sean Morris (21g,
21a); Ryan Boyle (12g, 23a)Faceoff: Chris Eck (54.6 percent)Goalie: Mike Levin (12.35 GAA, .560 save pct.);
Kip Turner (12.56 GAA, .538 save pct.)

Why they can win: Keep possession. Second-year
pro Eck has been great on draws, finishing the year only behind
Alex Smith in percentage, and Smith isn't in these playoffs. If the
offense gets extra possessions, the Cannons are dangerous. Ryan
Boyle has championship experience and Rabil has enormous influence
on the outcomes of games.

Why they can lose: Close-game failures. Based on
its track record, Boston can ill afford to be in a close game in
the fourth quarter. While all their losses have been by one goal,
the Cannons won games this year by much more comfortable margins.
They need to get going quick and not let up.